Lewis Hamilton has been warned his status as the Mercedes No 1 driver will come under threat from George Russell next year. The 23-year-old will form a mouth watering all-British partnership with Hamilton next season when he joins the Silver Arrows from Williams, replacing the outgoing Valtteri Bottas.
Russell will be replaced by German driver Alex Albon at Williams next year, and Capito admitted his departure would be a blow.
“Of course I’m sad that he’s leaving,” he continued. “On the other hand, I’m happy for him because he’ll be part of an absolutely top team. He learned a lot from Williams and definitely deserves it.”
How things pan out between Russell and Hamilton, 36, will be fascinating given the latter is no stranger to having frosty relations with teammates.
His four-year partnership with Nico Rosberg at Mercedes was plagued by tension and ill-feeling as the pair battled for supremacy, and the world championship.
Hamilton’s debut season, in 2007, also became infamous for the way he upstaged Fernando Alonso at McLaren, a scenario which rattled the Spaniard and he terminated his contract there at the end of the campaign.
However, thus far he’s had nothing but praise for the incoming Russell, and hopes he can even help mentor the rising star.
“We will of course compete against each other and of course I want to win the duel, but I hope that I can also have a positive influence on how he behaves in the team,” he told told Auto-Motor-Und.
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